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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086152">Prison Dating: A Guide for the uninitiated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceboundEmu/pseuds/IceboundEmu'>IceboundEmu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>LoveLink (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt to fix, F/M, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:29:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,644</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29086152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceboundEmu/pseuds/IceboundEmu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>MC and Austin vs The World (or so the MC would like to believe)</p>
<p>They have friends to help out, lend a sympathetic ear, just help them navigate the nightmare of trying to get their imprisoned boyfriend back where he should be, at home, with them.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Austin Russo/MC, Jake Gonzales/Zayn Kassab, Jonathan Hayes/Ryan Byrne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Prison Dating: A Guide for the uninitiated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So...the most recent update really hurt to play, a lot.  Almost immediately, when the smoke cleared and Austin greyed out I was left with the sensation it shouldn't have ended the way it should.</p>
<p>As is my whim to do in these situations, I immediately enlisted the aid of Firebirdie94, who then had to endure me hurling ideas at a wall to see what stuck.  This actually follows canon until the most recent in the series of updates, or at least the point where the story came of the rails for me (so around the time you repeat the same actions with evidence collecting expecting different results?).  Prepare for a lot of cameos from other Lovelink characters, please roll with the idea of Charlie and Sam being two year olds, they're just both too much fun to write as toddlers.</p>
<p>Since I really want Austin and MC to settle down and start a family together I'll take suggestions of who should be plucked from their existing timeline and returned to child form to create a functioning family unit.  </p>
<p>Questions and comments welcome</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You do realise you just completely contradicted yourself, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You paused at Ryan’s question, coffee cup halfway to your lips as you processed the question.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Racking your brains to try and work out what he meant the only thing that left your lips was a wounded retort.  Ryan frowned, obviously assuming you were feigning ignorance, before taking a sip of his own coffee before answering.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bennie Russo.  On one hand you describe him as a complete and utter moron, barely able to tie his own shoelaces.  Next minute he’s some sort of evil criminal mastermind, with gang connections stretching across the country and the entire justice system in the palm of his hand.  That doesn’t strike you as strange?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You answered his frown with one of your own, grudgingly admitting his words made sense if you viewed them from an outside perspective.  He hadn’t finished yet though, continuing on with his monologue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Has it ever occurred to you Nico, that the only thing Bennie is good at doing is pressing the right buttons to make Austin act in such a way he gets himself into trouble?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That stung, it had never even crossed your mind that Bennie could just be a devious bastard and knew which strings to pull to make Austin paranoid.  You own opinions of him were coloured by what Austin had imparted to you via your phone conversations, the notion that Austin could have over-exaggerated the threat Bennie posed made you feel more than a little stupid.  You felt your cheeks heating in a blush, Ryan smiled at you ruefully, aware he was the cause of your discomfort.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That makes sense actually.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It hurt your pride to admit it but had also had the effect that Ryan had probably desired, you felt like you could take a step back to consider objectively what your next course of action should be, rather than reacting as you would have before, jumping in with both feet regardless of the issues you could cause not only to yourself, but to Austin, whose distress in your last few conversations had been almost palpable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank god for that.  I was worried you’d just ignore me and start running your plan past Jonathan.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You felt your lips quirk up in a smile at the affection in Ryan’s voice as he spoke about his boyfriend, who he’d met on the same app you’d met Austin on.  Admittedly their romance had met with its own share of speedbumps, you’d played the sympathetic ear as Ryan fretted over Jonathan’s overseas posting shortly after they’d first met, you’d held Jonathan’s hand as he’d sat in hospital following the lab accident that had almost killed Ryan.  Following that both of them had taken the decision to change their life completely, Jonathan had resigned from the military and returned to college to study architecture, Ryan had used the money he’d been given in settlement to buy a house for them.  They’d set up home together, adopted a little boy, and were happy together, you’d ensured you kept in contact with them on a regular basis, unwilling to give up your friendship with Ryan, who you’d known since your time together in school.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When you’d matched with Austin via Lovelink, Ryan had been the ideal person to confide in regarding your own issues.  The first was that your match was currently incarcerated, followed secondly by the body blow that he was on death row for a murder he didn’t commit (though that had caused an argument between you about your gullibility until you’d been able to flesh it out more).  You’d then gone through the horror of collecting the evidence to try and exonerate him, which was thrown out of court for how it had been gathered, celebrated it had at least been enough to stop the execution, before finding out Bennie had taken a contract out on both of your lives.  You’d been toying with the idea of taking a job at the prison to keep an eye on Austin, which Ryan had rolled his eyes at.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, you don’t think I should take the job then?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You took a mouthful of your coffee as Ryan groaned loudly; at the point you’d been labouring over for the past half an hour.  It was enough to attract the attention of the barista, Jake, who raised an eyebrow in your direction at the disruption you were both causing to his clientele, you blew a kiss in his direction by way of apology, choking back a laugh as Zayn, his boyfriend, mimed shooting it out of the air.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“God, how many times? No.  If your poor, frightened boyfriend is already worried about watching his own back how is putting yourself in possible danger going to help his state of mind?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ryan was making a lot of sense, but you couldn’t help but just push a little more to get him to spill his concerns.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What if I could help protect him by doing it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ryan facepalmed, though he yelped as he hit himself a little too hard doing it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How on earth do you think you could take on an attacking convict? If you’re there and something kicks off, he’s going to react much more extremely that he would normally, you admit he has a short fuse.  Hell, what would you do if he kills someone to protect you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That hit home hard and your impulse to shrug off his concern with a sarcastic joke shrivelled and died as the seriousness of his implication hit home.  The idea that Austin would be prepared to kill to protect you from perceived harm was horrifying because it was so in keeping with his character, you’d fallen head over heels in love with, the warm, loving and protective Austin that lurked beneath the cold, angry persona you’d initially encountered, until Austin had trusted you enough to open up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But I have to help him through this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ryan was rubbing his injured nose ruefully but was spared from needing to answer immediately by something barrelling violently into your table, causing both your coffees to jolt with the force of the impact.  You looked over the edge of the table to find Charlie, Jake and Zayn’s toddler, had run into the table and knocked himself over, Jake had seen it happen and hurried over, just as the two-year-old began bawling, probably more from shock than actual injury (you hoped).  Ryan made a sympathetic noise at the sight of his distress, Jake had lifted the little boy from the floor and cuddled him close as he surveyed the damage to your drinks, before departing as Zayn arrived with a cloth to wipe up the minimal spillage.  You watched him carry Charlie out the back somewhere, Charlie’s wails of distress soon fading into silence, before Jake emerged not 5 minutes later, empty handed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’ll have put Charlie down for a nap.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zayn answered the question neither of you had asked, Ryan nodded in response, checking his watch.  You’d arranged to meet him here knowing that Jonathan would turn up later with Sam, apparently, he was keen to take him to the park and feed the ducks, though Ryan had confided to you he was concerned that Sam would end up in the pond with the birds he was supposed to be feeding.  Spill taken care of Zayn departed, leaving Ryan free to answer the statement you’d previously made.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well first you need to stop trying to do everything by yourself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at that one, opening your mouth to point out the problems you’d experienced with the police already, but Ryan held up a hand to signal he hadn’t finished.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t care what Austin had told you about the entire justice system being stupid, lazy or corrupt.  His experience of it hasn’t been the best right?  It doesn’t mean the police are inept, but they have procedures they need to follow to make sure the case stands up in court, and a prison where some of the guards are on the take doesn’t mean they all are.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His words made sense, you dug your nails into your palms to distract yourself from firing back a retort, reminding yourself that Ryan was trying to give you a way of helping Austin that wouldn’t inflame the situation further.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, what do you think I should do?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He gave the matter some thought.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I really wish Jonathan were here to discuss this with.  He’s much better at plans, but the way I see it your number one priority should be to get Austin into a situation where he feels more secure.  Have you reported the threats he says Bennie has been making to the police?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You shook your head.  It hadn’t occurred to you that the police would take any such threat seriously, you’d imagined them laughing you out of the station as being hysterical.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why would they care?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mainly because if something happens to Austin and the papers get hold of it, they’ll be torn to shreds in the media?  If he’s legitimately in danger they have to act to move him, and you to a secure location until the trial takes place.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But if it’s as you say, and Bennie is pressing his buttons?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Then there’s a threat to his mental wellbeing they need to consider and take steps to remove him from the situation for his own safety, and the safety of other people he might hurt.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’d section him?!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It came out a little louder than you intended, a couple of tables close to you turned round to stare and you felt yourself turn crimson, sinking into your seat and wishing the ground would open to swallow you up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nico, it’s clear, to me at least, Austin has gone through a hell of a mental trauma.  He’s lost his father, spent seven years locked away for a crime he didn’t commit, endured the threat of reprisal attacks and a possible execution, moved prisons, where he’s now being tortured with the idea that you’re in danger as well.  I’d say some mental healthcare would do him the world of good?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Again, Ryan was making a lot of sense to you.  You’d have hated him for it if you hadn’t been aware how naïve you’d been, assuming there was some magic wand you could wave to make Austin forget everything he’d endured just by securing his release from prison.  Ryan was probably speaking from experience, Jonathan had struggled with the experience of transitioning from the military to civilian life, Ryan also too had his own shares of mental horrors, which he’d confided still woke him at night, though Sam could also be a surprisingly good impediment to a night of sleep when he was acting up.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, my first step should be that I should talk to the police about what’s going on?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Talk to the police about what?  That it’s a crime I’m so attractive?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jonathan dropped into an empty chair between you and Ryan, you both gaped at him, unaware he’d entered the café.  He’d somehow managed to enter, park a pushchair and then get to a seat, carrying Sam without drawing attention to himself, then implanted himself in the middle of a conversation as though he’d always been there.  Jake was already making a beeline in your direction to take his order.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“God Lord, why do you always manage to make it about you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was easy to blow off some of the stress you were feeling by responding to Jonathan’s jokes with your own “world weary” cynicism, that and smiling as Sam registered Ryan’s presence and immediately began attempting to climb across the table to reach him, whilst still clutching a stuffed plush duck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re not talking about me? I’m wounded.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jonathan feigned taking a body blow at your words and you found yourself smiling again, the dark clouds that had gathered lifting briefly, as Ryan moved to intercept Sam before he could cause chaos, though Sam wasn’t happy to find himself placed in a highchair instead of in Ryan’s arms, and began his efforts to escape from there, struggling against the harness that kept him from climbing (and falling) out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We were discussing Austin, Nico’s having some problems and needed someone to help sort them out.  I’m fairly sure I told you about this Jonathan?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a warning edge to Ryan’s tone that neither of you missed, Jonathan waited until his back was turned and he was distracted by Sam, before pulling a face at you, returning to normal as Ryan glanced back, aware you were both sitting in silence.  Sam took advantage of the distraction to throw the duck and hard as he possible could, you watched it arc through the air before it bounced after hitting the floor, Sam looked bereft at the absence of the toy (even though his own actions had caused it) howling in protest.  A few of the tables close by cast disapproving gazes at the disruption, Jonathan stared them down until they broke eye contact as Ryan retrieved the discarded toy, returning to Sam who forgot his tantrum and broke into giggles on its return.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ryan was convincing me I’ve been trying to take on too much on my own.  Said I need to start getting the official channels involved, for the good of Austin and I’s mental health.  Plus, I’m also not allowed to get a job at the prison where he is.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You were still a little sore at abandoning an idea that to you had seemed the perfect way to get some close contact with Austin, so far, the closest you’d managed was a hurried video call, curtailed by the presence of an inquisitive guard.  The thought of being able to reach out and touch him was almost more than you could bear, the thought you wouldn’t be able to do that now caused your heart to ache.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You should probably look on it the same way as when you had to talk him out of sneaking onto base to see me.  Great in theory when you can only see the pros of the situation, worse in reality if you get caught doing it and have to face the consequences.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jonathan choosing to evoke that memory had the effect he must have desired, the crushing weight of your misery lifted slightly as you realised it was a similar situation, because Ryan hadn’t been acting rationally at that time either, it had been the perfect reversal of your roles.  Ryan also blushed at the memory, not happy to be teased about what he’d assumed would be a romantic gesture, which you hadn’t helped by pointing out it came with the risk of imprisonment and a hefty fine.  You’d never been remiss about reminding him about it either, but here you were planning a similar illogical cause of action for something you’d convinced yourself was for the greater good.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I need to go and talk to the police then.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It still didn’t quite feel right to say, you found yourself wondering how Austin would react if he found himself hospitalised because of what you said.  More so on how he would react once he found out you were the reason behind it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Better idea Nico, talk to Austin first, tell him what you’re going to do, see what he thinks.  If he’s online now Jonathan or I can come with you to help you find the right words for the Police.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Somehow Ryan had the knack of picking the right thing to say.  It was a balm for your aching heart to hear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think you should go if words are needed, I’m more of an action guy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s right Nico, I’m dating Action Man.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You laughed out loud at Ryan's retort.</p>
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